


Unideal Circumstances

by LoganLight



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir-centric, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Episode: s01 Dislocœur | Dark Cupid, Gen, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, What-If
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:34:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25924456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoganLight/pseuds/LoganLight
Summary: Marinette manages to sign the love poem she wrote for Adrien.But it doesn't turn out the way she expects.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 3
Kudos: 66





	Unideal Circumstances

"Can you believe all the horrible, thoughtless things you said to Ladybug!" Plagg laughed before swallowing his Camembert.

"You think it's funny, huh?" Adrien groaned, letting himself fall face-first onto his bed.

"What's the big deal? You've got so many cards from all these lady fans of yours, take your pick!" So saying, Plagg rifled through the pile of valentines. Grabbing a heart shaped card and throwing it towards his holder.

Fluttering gently beside Adrien, he opened it. Eyes widening in surprise Adrien sat upright quickly. "Whoa, hold up. Someone answered my poem? But I threw it away!"

_"Your hair shines like the sun, your eyes are gorgeous green._

_I look at you and wonder your innermost thoughts and dreams._

_Yes, your valentine I will be. Our love will be so true._

_Together for eternity, my heart belongs to you."_

A gasp escaped him as Adrien finished reading.

Plagg sighed in slight annoyance. "Well, anyone who writes as sickeningly sweet as you _must_ be your soulmate."

"It's signed... _Marinette!?"_ It was like a jolt of electricity shot through Adrien. The pleasant feelings elicited from reading her poem mixed confusingly in his gut with... something else.

"The baker girl?" Plagg _thought_ she acted weirder than human adolescents usually did but he could never put his paw on why. Until just now. "Well, there you go. You can just date her and-"

"I can't date Marinette!" Adrien cried out. His hands went to his hair as he started pacing. The adrenaline coursing through him demanding that he do _something._

"Why not? She obviously likes you and it's not like you're not available." Plagg pointed out.

"I'm in love with _Ladybug!"_ Adrien could feel his heartbeat speeding up in a familiar and unwelcome manner.

Plagg snickered. "And how's that working out for you?"

Adrien shot a half-hearted glare at his kwami. He knew it was Plagg's nature to be contrary and that romance was a genuine mystery to the little being (even more than it was to Adrien). But sometimes Adrien wished he could talk to someone who didn't encourage a cheese centric hedonistic lifestyle.

... Wait. Adrien rushed for his phone, the act of searching for it calming him somewhat.

"What're you doing?"

"Aha!" Adrien pressed the only number in his favorites and held it to his ear. "Calling Nino."

"Hey, dude!"

"Nino!" Relief rushed through Adrien as his best friend answered immediately. "I need your help!"

"Whoa, what's wrong bro?" The joy in Nino's voice fading to concern.

"I-" The words stuck in Adrien's throat as his thoughts caught up to his emotions. He dropped onto his bed. "Marinette gave me a valentine..."

"Wait, really? That's great dude!"

His heart tried to jump out of his chest at Nino's enthusiasm. "No, it's _not!"_ Adrien's voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "It means I'm going to have to give her an answer tomorrow!"

"Uh, yeah? That's how it works? She tells you how she feels and you do the same. Then you date and..." Nino's voice slowed as a thought came into his head. Alya said Marinette was always thinking about the worst case scenario. But he never seriously considered it. "Adrien? Are you... going to reject Mari?"

"..."

Nino felt the last of his excitement shift to growing unease. "But... I mean... The dudette's awesome, right? You could, I dunno, give her a chance?"

"... I'm not in love with her, Nino..." Adrien's voice was a whisper.

"That-" Nino swallowed. "Okay. Okay, so what're you gonna say to her?"

Adrien looked to Plagg, possibly hoping for some deeply buried wisdom to come out just when he needed it. Plagg shrugged, he still didn't seem to understand but he didn't tease Adrien further. Taking a deep breath Adrien made the only reply he could. "The truth."

* * *

"A-Adrien! Morning good! I-I mean, good morning!" Marinette groaned at her slip-up but resisted the urge to hide behind Alya.

"Hi, Marinette." Adrien rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to smile naturally. Not quite succeeding. "Um, can we talk?" His eyes flickered to Alya.

"Don't mind me! I'll just catch up with Nino." Alya gave a discreet thumbs up to Marinette before making her way towards her boyfriend.

Adrien felt a pang of guilt as Marinette's too large smile softened.

"S-so! What d-did you want to talk about?" Marinette knew it was probably her valentine but she didn't remember if she signed it and wasn't going to bring it up first. Still, the expectation had her heart soaring.

Adrien licked his dry lips, eyes downcast. "Marinette, your an incredible girl and... I don't want to play around with your feelings. It'd be the same as lying to you. I don't want to do that. You... Your friendship means too much to me. I... I'm sorry but I don't feel the same."

As Adrien continued Marinette felt her stomach drop. Her brief, fleeting hope now a cold, empty space instead. "But... why do you think it'd be lying?"

Biting his lip, Adrien hesitated. "Because... Because there's someone else."

Marinette's eyes widened as her breath left her. "Who... Who is it?" she asked mechanically.

Adrien's hand went from his neck to his other arm, shoulders hunching. "I can't tell you."

The cold place within her seemed to spread its frost around her heart, every beat painful to endure. "I-I see." Marinette swallowed the lump in her throat. "W-well, um, thanks f-for telling me. I guess..." Turning, Marinette started walking away.

Instinctively, Adrien's arm reached out to her, mouth opening to call out Marinette's name. He wanted to apologize, to make it better, make sure she was okay. Make sure _they_ were okay.

But he didn't have the words.

So, his arm fell to his side as she made her way to her best friend. Alya's glare and Nino hiding guiltily under his cap told Adrien she already knew.

Her discontent was an added burden on Adrien's shoulders. Even as the heat of Alya's stare softened as she pulled Marinette into a hug.

Nino walked up to Adrien and patted him on the shoulder. Taking his arm and steering him away from the girls.

"I messed up, Nino." Adrien gazed dejectedly at the floor.

"Nah, bro." Nino wrapped his arm around Adrien's shoulders. "You did the right thing."

"... Didn't you want me to ask her out?"

"I thought Mari would make you happy," Nino admitted. "But you told her the truth. Better that than a lie."

Intellectually, Adrien knew Nino was right and he held on to that knowledge. But it didn't make him feel better.

Alya showed up in homeroom just before the bell rang... Without Marinette. Ignoring Adrien's gaze she walked to her seat.

"... Alya-"

 _"Don't,"_ she snapped and Adrien shrank back. Eyes softening, Alya replied in a gentler tone. "Just... don't okay? She needs time. She just needs time."

Adrien nodded and faced forward as class started. Marinette didn't show up that day.

* * *

On a secluded rooftop a crying Ladybug purified an akuma. Her heart may be broken but it was still _hers_. Her pain, _not_ his. And Papillon would not have it.

Marinette stayed transformed despite her desire to hear Tikki's voice. Yo-yo at the ready. 

But Papillon sent no more akuma.

* * *

Adrien crashed face-first onto his bed. He was so tired.

Plagg glanced at his Camembert before zooming close to Adrien's head. "Kid, if it bothers you so much why not give dating the baker girl a shot?"

Groaning, Adrien pushed his face deeper into the bed. He was so tired of answering that question. Or rather, ones like it.

During lunch his classmates wondered where Marinette was since they remembered seeing her in the courtyard. And Max, intelligent, helpful, oblivious Max pointed out it was the day after Valentine's. Suddenly, Adrien was the center of attention because apparently Marinette's crush was obvious to everyone except him.

With everyone being even more incredulous of Adrien not wanting to date Marinette than Nino was.

 _"Because,"_ Adrien turned his head to level a look at Plagg. "I'm in love with someone else."

Plagg sighed and Adrien thought it sounded slightly less exasperated than usual. "Yeah, I know." Swooping for his cheese, Plagg offered it to Adrien. "Camembert? Nothing is better at taking your mind off your problems!"

Despite himself Adrien smiled softly at the gesture. "No, thanks."

Shrugging, Plagg swallowed it in one bite.

Letting out a sigh of his own Adrien flopped over and stared at the ceiling. "What am I gonna do about Marinette?" he asked no-one in particular.

"Eh, nothing you _can_ do, is there?" Plagg grabbed the valentine that caused his holder so much worry and threw it in with the others. He knew Adrien wouldn't, the kid was too sensitive about it. "It's like blogger girl said, it just takes time."

Adrien wouldn't say that comforted him exactly. But it reinforced the knowledge that he'd done everything he could. "Thanks, Plagg... Do you think we'll still be friends after this?"

"I don't know much about human girls. But I don't see why not." Satisfied with himself Plagg went back to his cheese.

"Yeah..."

Adrien decided to call Nino once his thoughts were a bit more sorted. He was still new to this whole 'having friends' thing and they didn't really get a chance to talk after class. Adrien could really use his friend right now.

Since he might have lost more than one.

**Author's Note:**

> Reminder that Plagg didn't open up to Adrien until partway through season 2.


End file.
